Fraternizing With The Enemy
by DinoSnore
Summary: Voldemort has a new weapon, a creature he's been working on since before his return. But the creature does not want to be controlled. The Dark Lord wants an heir, and he is most upset when he finds his creation receiving attention from the enemy. RL/OC.
1. The Trip Home

Harry sat quite still on one of the warmest July thirtieths that he could remember. He dolefully looked at the cake Aunt Petunia had baked. She was fussing over it, perfecting each scrawly letter. Of course, this cake was not for Harry's birthday, which would come the following day. The lettering on the cake spelled simply, "So long!" Harry thought this was a rather rude way of kicking him out.

The Dursleys had all been excited for this past week. They'd been cheerful, and even subtly kind to Harry. They'd also counted down the days until they were able to throw Harry out of their home.

He hadn't minded this new passive aggressive attitude they took to Harry, for he was just as thrilled as they were. In fact, the Dursleys had no idea that eleven-thirty that very evening, their sitting room would host at least a dozen witches and wizards. A good number from the Order of the Phoenix were to come to bring Harry back to the Burrow. An attack from Voldemort and his followers was almost imminent, and there had been rumor of a terrible beast that he now had under his power. Nobody had told Harry what this new weapon was, but they felt it dangerous enough to send twelve members of the Order.

Being that Harry had packed several hours earlier, he spent most of his time sitting in front of the television, watching the news. It repeatedly showed the Muggle Prime Minister looking nervously around as he tried to avoid a series of newsreporters and camera flashes. The correspondant was in the middle of a story, "…No reports of where this new information has come from, but the Prime Minister is urging everyone to leave their homes alone. An escaped murderer, far more dangerous than the previously escaped Sirius Black, is on the loose. There is no news on the appearance or even the sex of this monster, but we have been informed that upon seeing the murderer, you will know straight away who you are dealing with."

The other correspondant laughed heartily. "The Prime Minister certainly has made it seem as though we're dealing with a monster from under the bed."

Harry tuned the rest of the report out. They had no idea how right they were about it being some sort of a monster. The announcement of this on the Muggle news made Harry worry even more. This thing was truly a force to be reckoned with, if Scrimgeour decided that the Muggles needed to be warned.

Harry's mind remained befuddled as to what sort of creature that Voldemort was using, so, in a feeble attempt to allieviate his troubled head, he traipsed up the stairs to go repack several more times. At ten-thirty that night, after the Dursleys had gone to bed, Harry snuck downstairs and layed down on the couch. He had no reason to be downstairs, but he was far too anxious to stay cooped up in his bedroom. Despite his anxiety, Harry slipped into a doze, his mind taunted with dreams of twenty-foot tall Blast-Ended Skrewts, Chimaeras, and the Nundu, a giant leopard who has been known to destroy whole villages. Any of these terrible beasts could be what Voldemort had been hiding, and they haunted his subconscious.

"Wake up, birthday boy!" came a loud voice. Harry nearly jumped when he found his godfather's face merely inches from his. "Finally seventeen, Harry!" he said, sitting his godson up. "Now all we have to do is get you out of here alive…"

Harry blinked several times and adjusted his glasses. Surveying the sitting room, he saw twelve cloaked figures. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Arthur, Bill, and Charlie Weasley, Hagrid, Snape, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Dedalus Diggle all stood in the now-cramped sitting room.

Harry stretched and stood, looking at the assembled. "What's this beast that I've been hearing about?" he asked, glancing at the clock which read exactly eleven-thirty.

"Sure, Harry, don't ask us if we'd like any tea or anything. You're a terrible host," Tonks said, winking at him. She strode into the kitchen and began filling the kettle with hot water.

"Oh, sure, help yourself," Harry managed groggily. "Now, what's Voldemort got?" he pressed on.

Lupin sank into Uncle Vernon's favorite chair with a wince, and supplied, "A demon."

"A what?" Harry was familiar with what a demon was in the Muggle world, but had never before heard of their existance in the Magical world.

Bill answered this time. "Harry, a demon is born only from evil things. It is, basically, an evil supernatural being that can do anything from—"

"Alluring men while they sleep. That would be the succubus," added Tonks with a smile.

"They can inhabit one's body and control their actions. Something like the Imperius Curse," said Kingsley gravely.

"They vary in any shape, amount of intelligence, and their powers. But they all have something in common, Harry. They are creatures born of evil and are sources of ruin, which explains why Voldemort was able to create one," finished Lupin.

Harry considered his trunk full of belongings. "How are we getting to the Burrow?" he asked inquisitively.

"Brooms," Mad-Eye gruffly supplied. "We're sure to be attacked the second that clock strikes midnight, so when you're put in position, you must remember to stay in that position. Should any of us fall, we do not, under any circumstances, go back. Our main goal is to get Potter to the Weasleys' without getting him attacked by any succubus… Would be one hell of a way to go, though, eh, Potter?" he said, chuckling.

Harry's cheeks reddened at the prospect of discussing this subject with Mad-Eye Moody. Still, most of the others chuckled along with him.

Bill and Charlie snuck quietly upstairs to get Harry's trunk, and within the next twenty minutes, Harry was standing outside, surrounded by the Order members, about to mount his Firebolt. His trunk had been magically bound to Hagrid's larger-than-average broomstick. He seemed rather apprehensive about riding a broom.

"Is everyone in position?" called Mad-Eye from the front. "Good! Now, you all should know how to get back if we should get separated. Potter, just stick close to one of us, and you'll be fine. And remember the check points if you need to touch down! Stay in the clouds as much as possible!"

"Eleven fifty-nine!" Charlie yelled from directly behind Harry.

"Mount your brooms, everyone!" directed Moody, and everyone listened. "Wands out!"

Harry had forgotten this, and scrambled in his back pocket for his wand. He held it loosely in his right hand, smiling at his old friend.

"Three, two"—

"Kick off!"

As soon as the group kicked off the ground, spells were sent at them. Harry vaguely heard Mad-Eye yell to follow, and he did. They kept formation as they rocketed upward. Harry nearly yelped as he saw a group of masked Death Eaters behind them, shooting hexes and curses. Harry looked over his shoulder, pointed his wand at a particularly big Death Eater, and muttered, "Stupify!" The man slumped forward on his broom and began to fall. Three others dropped to assist him.

Then, Tonks screamed, and Harry's head whipped back around so fast that he heard his neck crick. Tonks, who was to the right of him, was fumbling for her wand, and Harry saw why. A beautiful, but ghostly young woman with long, ebony hair, was leaping toward Tonks. This girl rode no broom, and looked to be in some sort of a trance.

Since Tonks could not seem to get a proper hold on her wand, Harry pointed his at the girl just as she latched onto Tonks's broom. He yelled the only spell he could think of, "_Sectumsempra!_"

The ghostly girl screamed in agony as a huge gash in her robes became evident, and she released Tonks's broom. She began to drop down again to the ground.

"POTTER!" thundered Snape, who was directly to his left. "You STUPID child!" he hissed.

"_What_?!" Harry roared back. "She was going to kill Tonks!"

"I think we've found out who's the demon," Lupin yelled, pointing behind them. The beautiful woman had fallen behind, but was catching up somehow. One leap from the ground sprung her up and forward thirty feet. She ran at incredibly speeds, and as they climbed their height, the girl merely leapt from roof to roof, or to tree. Even while her chest became soaked with blood, and her Death Eater comrades fell behind, she ran on, until all thirteen of the group were throwing jinxes at her. She fell back after each blow, but soon resumed her chase, though she seemed completely emotionless.

"Oh, to hell with this!" roared Mad-Eye. He pointed his wand at the girl, and yelled, "_Sectumsempra! Sectumsempra! SECTUMSEMPRA!_" The young woman shrieked as she was hit by all three curses, and she dropped to the ground.

"For God's sake, Mad-Eye!" screamed Snape, who continued to look back for any sign of the girl. "Dumbledore said we weren't to harm her! You're disobeying direct order!"

"That's what he told _you_, Snivellus, not us! And anyway, what does it matter? She's taken care of, at least for a while!"

Harry had never seen such an expression of anger and worry on Snape's face. "SHUT UP, BLACK, or I swear, I'll"—

But he was interrupted by a soft, far away wail of, "Uncle!"

That seemed to make up Snape's mind. "Stop being thick, Mad-Eye! I'm going back!" he yelled, before turning his broom and racing in the opposite direction.

"SNAPE, Dumbledore will hear of this!" barked Mad-Eye. "Tonks, take that idiot's spot! Kingsley, move back one!"

As Tonks transitioned from one side to the other, Harry noticed that her right side was spattered with the girl's blood.

"Keep up, keep up!" urged Mad-Eye as they ascended into a cloud, which thoroughly drenched them all with freezing condensation.

"Why is Snape so worried if it's just a demon?" Harry asked Kingsley while he shivered and his teeth chattered.

Kingsley seemeed almost undaunted by the sudden cold. "I couldn't tell you, Harry. But Snape is a spy, so he might know more about that demon that we do. That's just my take on it," he answered, gripping his broom a little tighter.

Besides Mad-Eye's barking every now and then, the group flew in silence. Harry's hands were so cold that every gust of air that hit them stung, and he silently cursed himself for not wearing riding gloves, as all of the others had.

They flew for hours, and Harry could barely keep himself on his broom. His whole body ached from maintaining his grip on his broom, and once, he began dozing off. Harry was woken by Sirius's yell to realize that he was falling. He took a sharp inhale of air, but before he could even scream, Remus's hand latched onto Harry's robes.

Remus released his other hand from his broom, and his left hand joined his right in an attempt to keep Harry from plummeting to the ground. Remus gritted his teeth, a pained expression on his face.

Sirius sped over to assist his best friend. With only a bit of a struggle, Harry was back on his broom, and although he was shaky, he was all right. Remus was untucking his shirt and pulling it up, swearing under his breath.

"What's happened, Remus?" Kingsley asked. The whole procession had stopped and fallen from their ranks to survey the injured werewolf.

"God, Remus, I'm sorry," Harry said hurriedly as he saw the gash down his former professor's side. Sirius was practically on top of his best friend to see the damage.

"Not your fault, Harry. This –ah! Don't touch it, Sirius!—happened during my last transformation. It just reopened is all," Remus replied, grimacing.

"It's bleeding pretty badly," Sirius said, glancing up at Remus.

"It's fine," he persisted. Remus took off his robe and tied it tightly around his middle. "There, are you satisfied, you cry baby?" he said to Sirius.

"I didn't like the looks of that, Remus. That wound seems serious," Tonks added.

Remus shook it off. "I'll heal it when we get back. Now come on before we all fall asleep," he said, casting a smile in Harry's direction.

At long last, as the sky began to lighten, the group of thirteen landed at the Weasley home. Harry was exhausted and freezing, and he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a warm bed.

As Sirius knocked on the Weasley's back door, Mrs. Weasley's voice came from within. "Which was first?"

"William Arthur Weasley, born November twenty-ninth," Sirius answered, almost in a recitation.

The door swung open to reveal a beaming Molly Weasley. "Good question, don't you think, Harry? What with my litter running around," she said brightly. She must have noticed their weary expressions, and hurriedly ushered them all in.

As they crowded inside the kitchen, Remus began to pull up his shirt again. "Molly, I'm afraid we had a bit of an accident," he said casually.

Molly saw the wound and gasped. She hurried over to examine Remus's side. "Oh, God, you weren't hit by anything, were you? Come, Remus, sit, and take off your shirt," she said, pushing him backwards into a chair.

The former professor's face turned scarlet before he mumbled, "No, Molly, there's no need. You can just magic it up, can't you?"

"Come, dear, there's no reason to be bashful. You're hurt, and badly," she said, tugging the shirt of the unwilling werewolf. His torso exhibited several old scars and fading scratches, evident marks of his condition.

Mrs. Weasley looked startled for an instant, then pointed her wand at Remus's newest addition of injuries, and said, "_Vigoratus vulnia_." The wound completely healed itself, without even a scratch. Remus thanked her and hurriedly slipped his shirt back on.

Mrs. Weasley, in turning about, gasped again. "Tonks, what on earth happened to _you_?" she questioned.

"Oh, nothing, Molly," she said simply. "This isn't mine," she added, indicating the splattered brown stains on her robe.

"Who's is it?" she demanded, spinning around and surveying the group.

"Just a filthy demon's, is all," answered Moody. "Molly, would it be too much to ask you for a good swallow of something strong?"

"Of course, of course. Harry, you'll be staying in Ron's room. And there are extra beds in the other boys' rooms. You all must be exhausted. Tonks, dear, there's an extra bed in Ginny's room. Harry will show you to it," Mrs. Weasley said distractedly.

Several mumbles of thanks responded as a groggy mass began traipsing upstairs, and as Hagrid Flooed back to Hogwarts.

Remus followed Sirius up the winding staircase of the Weasley home. He and his friend took Charlie's old room, where two twin beds had been placed. Remus didn't even take off his shoes before crawling, delighted, into one of the beds. Sirius followed suit, and mumbled, already half-asleep, "No funny business, Moony."


	2. Scent of a Female

**Chapter 2, notes: Obviously, if you haven't picked up on a couple things, Sirius is not dead, neither is Dumbledore. It simply just isn't as fun without these characters, you see. **

Remus did not wake until late in the afternoon. He was rather groggy, and though the skin had healed from Molly's spell, his side still stung. Remus sat up and looked over at Sirius, who was drooling all over a pillow.

He crept quietly out of the room and downstairs. Molly, Arthur, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were all in the sitting room, talking. 

"Oh, hullo, Remus," Mister Weasley said pleasantly as Remus entered the room. 

"Good morning Arthur," Remus replied with a smile, trying to flatten his bedhead. "What time is it?" 

"About quarter of six." 

"Isn't anyone else awake yet?" he inquired, stifling a yawn.

Ron shook his head in the negative. "And it's been boring all day." 

Remus nodded, stretched, and slowly sauntered into the backyard. He sighed heavily and leaned against the house. He was having difficulty in staying positive, which was a skill that he'd learned in his youth, after he had been bitten. But now, there was no silver lining. Voldemort was gaining strength faster than the last time, people were being murdered every day, Remus wasn't as able-bodied as he had been the last time, and now Voldemort had control of some vicious, soulless—

"Demon. Feh. How ridiculous. And they didn't even catch my good side." 

Remus spun on his heel, looking wildly around for the owner of the unrecognizable voice. There wasn't anyone around. His hand hovered over his pocket for his wand, just in case. 

"It's a pity, too. They have no consideration for my side. But I suppose I'm in no shape for fighting the Daily Prophet. What do you think, Mister Lupin?" All of a sudden, something dropped from the roof. 

A thin, raven-haired girl stood, the front of her shabby black traveling cloak drenched in blood. She was the demon they had encountered in the middle of the night, but as she took two steps forward, Remus did not reach for his wand.

Her eyes seemed to have life in them now—they were a soft gray and looked warm. This young woman had black hair that reached her waist, with bangs cut straight across her brow. Her face was covered with dirt and blood, but even so, Remus couldn't deny that she was beautiful. 

"What do you want?" he asked apprehensively. His heart pounded in his chest—Remus had seen how fast this creature could move, and no part of him cared to see how she would attack. 

"I'm afraid I need a bit of help." The woman- or demon, whatever she was –pulled back her traveling cloak to reveal a once-white button down blouse which was soaked in blood. 

"Your friend did quite a number on me, you see, and I can't figure out how to heal it. And I know it seems strange, my coming to you lot for help, but since Uncle Severus says that you're all for the same cause, I'd figured that it would be safe to come to you. Especially you, Mister Lupin, since you know what it's like to be…afflicted," she said hurriedly. The girl looked faint and weak, and even through the mask of dried mud and blood, it was obvious that she was turning a sickly shade of green. 

Several thoughts flew through Remus's head, and they seemed to just topple out of his mouth. "_Uncle Severus_? But you're a Death Eater! And how do you know—about me?"

She smiled weakly. "I'm not a Death Eater, nor am I a demon. And I could smell the wolf in your blood when I was following you here. And, you see, I was not born with 

these powers. I was something of an experiment, being that my parents loathed the thought of a girl, all because I can't carry on the family name and all that rubbish. So, since they are such good little servants, they offered me up to Voldemort when he asked for a child. Since then, I'd been locked away and kept a secret. Oh yes, how rude of me. My name is Lily Malfoy. Pleased to meet you."

Remus stood there, mouth agape in shock. He couldn't think of anything to reply to this strange explanation. 

He was saved from a response, however, for Alastor stood in the doorway, his magic eye swiveling wildly around. 

"I knew it!" he growled. "This eye never fails. _Stupify!"_

"Not you again, old man," she said with a sigh as she leaped high into the air. 

Moody began shooting jinx after jinx at the girl, which she barely avoided. Remus moved to stop him, yelling an explanation, but Mad-Eye paid no attention. A manic smile was twisted on the old man's face, and just as Remus grabbed his wand to stop him, the girl fell to the ground with a yelp. 

Thick ropes bound around the girl's wrists and ankles, though she did not fight against them. "Ha!" Moody shouted triumphantly. "Not so tough now, are you, you silly little demon?" He took long strides toward the girl, Remus following behind. 

"Alastor, don't! She isn't what you think. She wasn't attacking anyone!" He glanced at the girl, who didn't stir, her face turned away from them with her hair covering her face. "She needs help!" 

"Oh, I don't doubt that, Lupin, after I'm done interrogating her and she gets sent off to Azkaban." They were upon the motionless figure, which was sprawled out quite awkwardly. "Up, demon!" Mad-Eye barked at the girl. She did not move. Mad-Eye kicked her in her side, evoking a groan from the girl. Remus released the breath he had not been aware that he'd been holding. The girl was alive, at least. 

The girl—Lily Malfoy—shook her head to remove the hair from her face. She squinted up at the two. When she spoke, her voice was weak, and sounded tired. "You're not really that charming, Mad-Eye Moody, but your reputation does precede you," she said calmly, though there was a mixture of pain and anger in her voice.

"Get UP!" he commanded again, and he kicked her again. 

"Stop it, Alastor! She can't get up because she's injured. Not to mention that you bound her ankles," Remus said angrily. He crouched before the girl, ignoring the soft _pop!_ his knees made as he went down. "Listen," he started, looking directly into those soft, silver eyes, "I'm not sure if what you said was true, but you need to get to St. Mungo's. You're badly injured, and I'm not sure if we're able to help you here. I mean, Molly knows some basic healing spells, but I don't think she knows much more"—

Lily interrupted him by shaking her head. "I can't go to St. Mungo's. There are loads of Death Eaters working as Healers these days, and at least half of them know by now that I didn't return with the others. They'd bring me straight back to Voldemort. Besides, magical medicine won't work on me." 

"Liar," Moody growled. Remus looked up to find that the entire Weasley household as well as the others who were on that eventful trip from Privet Drive now stood outside. All faces held an expression of shock. 

"How did you know we were here?" Kingsley asked apprehensively. 

"Keen sense of smell. Look" –she grimaced in pain- "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. Just let me go and I'll go heal this myself. I'm no stranger to being feared and hated." Remus swore that he saw sparkles of tears in her eyes, but he couldn't be sure, for she closed her eyes tight and started to fight against her bindings. She thrashed, but to no avail, and yelled in frustration. 

They all just watched at the girl's struggle, and Remus felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. He understood all too well what it was like to be hated. With his back to the 

others, he inconspicuously slipped his wand out of his robes, pointed it at one of the ropes, and whispered, "_Diffindo_." 

Instantly, the rope broke, and Lily was able to break the others. Immediately, she was up in the air, though she clutched one hand to her chest. She sped away faster than Moody could shoot jinxes, and she was out of sight within seconds. 

Mad-Eye swore underneath his breath. "Ah well. No big loss. It's been bleeding all day. It'll be dead by the night." 

"Shut up!" Remus growled. This startled everyone assembled, for Remus was always the rational, level-headed one. He got to his feet, again ignoring the protest from his knees. He looked around the sea of people as he spoke. "She isn't a demon, and she _wasn't_ trying to attack anything! She doesn't want to be under Voldemort's control, and—and she called Snape 'Uncle Severus!'" he said eagerly. 

"Severus, who disappeared after the girl," Sirius added. Remus was shocked at his friend's fast comprehension. Sirius was usually the last to rationalize things. "So, that puts quite the amount of suspicion on Snape, doesn't it?" Well, Remus thought, it was only wishful thinking. 

"She knows Snape because she's a Malfoy," Remus said, ignoring his friend. Everyone's attention was right back on him. "Her parents are Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and Voldemort told them he needed a child for an experiment, and they offered her up because she's just a girl. I didn't mean that the way it sounded, Tonks. _I _ think women are equal—but anyway, she's hurt very badly, and she followed us for refuge from Voldemort, and now she's… a hundred miles away by now." He sighed in desolation. "And, I suppose, it's as Alastor said. She'll be dead before tomorrow." 

Tonks and Molly edged toward him, piteous expressions on their faces. "Remus," Tonks started, "she lied. Of course she lied, to get to you. These are dangerous times, and Death Eaters are using even trickier ways to get information. She might be injured, but remember, she's not even a 'she.' She's a demon, nothing but pure evil and deception. And even if she really _is_ a Malfoy, that would mean she's probably equally evil and deceptive." 

"But, Snape," he feebly replied. 

"Severus is probably keeping an eye on the demon, making sure she doesn't get too close to the Order," Molly answered. "Come, Remus, dear. We'll get you a nice cup of hot tea for you. Don't look so distressed, dear. It's not the first time a woman lied to a man." She began steering him toward the house, and Remus began doubting himself. 

They were right. Remus had no reason believe a single word that this girl—demon, rather—had said. She had sucked him right into his greatest vulnerability, and he had believed her. He silently wondered, as he sat down at the Weasley kitchen table, if he'd also been fooled because he found her beautiful. Even her scent, which had then been covered up by blood and the smell of dirt, was beautiful, and so female. 

Then, after a couple gulps of his Firewhiskey, Remus jolted upright, knocking over his chair. This made Molly, Tonks, and Sirius (who was looking quite afraid for his friend's sanity) jump. 

"She can't be a demon!" Remus declared decisively. "She _smelled_ like a woman, not a demon!" 

Molly and Tonks looked quite disturbed. 

"You can…_smell_ females?" Tonks asked, an eyebrow raised. 

Remus felt his face fill with heat. "I've been a werewolf for thirty-three years, Tonks. My senses are a bit stronger than those of…normal people," he hastily divulged. "But anyway, she didn't have a hint of demon on her."

"Have you ever _smelled_ a demon, Remus?" Molly said gently. 

"Well, no, but…" 

"Then maybe they don't have a scent that's any different from any other woman," Molly pointed out. 

Remus sank back into his chair. He had been so certain… Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. It was only a few days after his last transformation, after all, and he'd been known to be a bit off just after the full moon. Then again, he wondered, if his senses were just beginning to go because of his age. The age of forty was creeping upon him, and it would be understandable if merely his werewolf senses started to fade. 

The rest of that night was spent mostly around the Weasley kitchen table, the Order of the Phoenix assembled. An abundance of arguing and whispered chatter was silenced the moment Dumbledore and Snape appeared from the fireplace. 

"Why did you break ranks?" Moody was first to bark. 

"That will be explained, and more, Moody. First, however, I would appreciate a cup of tea," Dumbledore said quite calmly, though his expression was quite solemn. Molly handed him a cup of tea, he thanked her, and then silence resumed for a moment. 

"I've heard that you injured her, Alastor, and quite severely at that," Dumbledore said, and sipped at his tea. 

"That thing attacked Tonks!" Moody protest, his face reddening. 

"She did not!" Snape countered, an uncanny hint of defense in his voice. "She didn't touch Tonks, Mad-Eye, and you still hit her three times with _Sectumsempra_!" 

"Well, if I recall correctly, Snape, _Sectumsempra_ is a specialty of yours," Moody said grumpily. 

"Stop arguing, the both of you," Molly said sternly. Her gaze turned back to Dumbledore. "Even if she _is_ a demon, she isn't…dead, is she?" she asked carefully. 

"No, she is very much alive," Dumbledore said, sipping his tea again. "Miserable, but alive." 

"Miserable?" Remus couldn't keep himself from questioning the state of the demon. 

Dumbledore nodded gravely. As he opened his mouth to speak, however, Snape interrupted him. 

"Yes, Lupin, miserable. Most people don't favor the thought of being disowned by one's family, any powerful associations she might have had, all for the acceptance of the opposing side, and _you lot_ have made it perfectly clear that she's far from accepted! Anyone that's picked up a _Daily Prophet_ despises and fears her, and that's not something to be miserable about? Mad-Eye, you better pray to your God that she is found unharmed, or I swear on everything I value, that you'll regret every utterance of a curse that you cast on Lily," Snape growled, his face turning increasingly red. 

Moody's natural eye twitched. "Are you threatening me, Snape?" he said dangerously. 

"No, no he wasn't!" Tonks quickly said. "Now, is what Remus telling us true, Dumbledore? That, you know, she's a Malfoy, and that she's not really a demon?" 

"Yes, it is true, Nymphadora," he replied, though she noticeably cringed at her own name, "Lily Malfoy is daughter to the infamous Death Eaters, and in her youth, Voldemort has directed them to perform merciless, excruciatingly painful—I think she called them, 'enhancements.' From the second she was found out, Voldemort made every effort to turn her into a weapon. Lucius and Narcissa have kept her under a very strict Imperious Curse, though I believe it must have weakened, for she followed the moving party here. 

"And I'll tell you all now that she is not a creature to be hated. I've met Lily in times where their Imperious has worn off, or when her parents thought she was secure in the basement. The fact remains that she is _not_ the enemy. Should we find her again, which is doubtful from what I've heard of her greeting at the Weasley home, she is not to be harmed. Lily is a useful ally, and a singularly charming woman." 

"She tried to kill Tonks!" Mad-Eye barked suddenly, making a few of them jump. 

"That isn't true! She didn't touch a hair on Tonks's head!" Snape yelled in return. 

"But she would have, if Potter here wouldn't have hit her with that finely-aimed curse!" 

"She was under Voldemort's control, not her own!" 

"Still!" 

Remus tuned out the rest of the quarrel. He'd been right, and he's nearly convinced himself that he was wrong. Lily was just as innocent as he had supposed, and while Remus was unsure as to why, he was relieved. When she'd spoken to him, she didn't sound angry or bitter at the treatment she'd gotten during the flight to the Burrow. She seemed weary and sad, but Remus also found a sweetness that was just beneath the surface. He pondered about the girl all evening, and his curiosities even kept him awake. Every time he closed his eyes, an image of Lily Malfoy appeared in his head. 

Remus was assigned to stay at the Burrow with Sirius, as basic protection to Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys. So he and his best friend ascended the staircase again to Charlie's old residence. But this time, as Remus's head hit the pillow, it did not find sleep as quickly. His head was filled with thoughts of Lily Malfoy, wondering where she was, and if all she'd wanted was a little companionship, just as he had when he started at Hogwarts. 


	3. Santa's Come Early

The next morning started tumultuously. Remus's heart jumped into his throat as soon as Molly frantically cried, "Harry's missing!"

Sirius paled in horror, and Remus could only put a hand on his back and stupidly mutter, "Don't think the worst. We'll find him."

And suddenly, Snape appeared through the fireplace, an expression of fury on his face. "They've got Potter. They've had him since yesterday, I just found out. Aren't you two geniused supposed to be his protection?!" he bellowed in the direction of Remus and Sirius.

"There are a thousand charms on this place, Snivellus!" Sirius shot back, distress evident in his voice. "How are we supposed to expect such a huge breech of security?!"

"Only Order members know the charms," Remus said, his eyes wide. "Who haven't we seen?"

Sirius's face became distorted with rage. "Mundungus."

"Dumbledore knows?" Remus found his voice once more.

"Of course!" Severus snapped. "I don't know what the Dark Lord has in mind for Potter, but why he only took the boy instead of attacking the whole household is beyond me."

"The important thing is not to panic," Molly said, a terrible look of fear on her face, which she tried futilely to hide with a shaky smile. "Do we have a headcount for everyone else?"

"Everyone else is here, Mum," Ron said, physically shaking all over. Remus felt pity for him. He too knew what it was like to lose a best friend.

For three hours, all in the Weasley house anxiously awaited news of Harry, and what was even more painstaking was that there was not much that they could do. Sirius and Remus had checked the protective charms around the house three times to ensure that they were up properly. Molly had tears streaming down her face as she frantically baked and assured everyone that everything would be just fine. Besides her pitiful declarations of satisfactory results, nobody said a word.

Finally, after nearly five painful hours of waiting, Remus stood and headed for the kitchen. He didn't know what he would accomplish by standing outside, but it would remove him from such a bleak reality.

He took two steps out of the kitchen, and breathed in the fresh air. His eye involuntarily twitched. Blood was mixed in with the smell of grass, and a very female smell—_her_ smell.

Remus suddenly heard a solid _crash!_ erupt from behind him, and he looked up to see two figures on the roof. Almost immediately, everyone that remained in the house dashed out.

"What the bloody hell was that?!" Ron demanded shrilly.

"It's not Santa," Remus weakly replied.

One of the figures stirred, and groaned loudly. "Bit of turbulence, and our impact was a bit dodgier than I'd estimated… Not that you care, you're unconscious." The voice belonged to Lily Malfoy, and Remus knew that before he even saw the mass of long, ebony hair. Her silver-gray eyes met the scene below her—a bunch of gaping wizards, most of them with their mouths agape.

Weakly, she pushed the second form, which was most definitely an unconscious Harry, toward the edge of the roof. "Here," she managed, flopping back down on the roof. "He's more trouble than he's worth."

Sirius immediately levitated him to the ground, while not a soul said a word.

"He's not dead, mind you. Voldy just gave him a good wallop," she said, unmoving.

"Bring him to the couch," Molly quietly directed, and half of the procession, including Sirius, left inside the house, with Harry's unconscious form.

Molly stood on her tiptoes, trying to catch a glimpse of the girl. "Erm, Lily, dear?"

There was no response, save for a muffled, "Mmph."

"Are you all right, Lily?" Molly's voice became stronger.

"Yeah," she replied hoarsely. "I mean, I've got quite the pain in my head, a little ringing in my ears, a couple ribs are broken, and I think that wound from a few days ago has reopened, but, yes, I'm fine, Missus Weasley," she said politely.

"_Levicorpus_," Remus said, and Lily Malfoy's form floated into his arms. She was considerably lighter than he had expected, and flushed scarlet when she looked up at him.

"Remus!" she said dopily. Remus frowned when he saw a trickle of blood run down from her temple.

"We'd better get you inside," Severus replied quickly.

Lily didn't look up to search for the familiar's figure, but closed her eyes and smiled. "And Uncle Severus, too! What luck! You recall, Uncle Sevvie, that magic can't be used to heal me," she said as Remus carried her toward the house.

"Yes, Lily, I remember," Severus replied patiently.

"Why's she all funny like that?" Tonks questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"Loss of blood, I'd imagine," Remus said, looking at his beautiful charge intently. "Molly, can you call Madam Pomfrey, please? We'll need her for the pair of them."

"And I'll go call off the search," Tonks said importantly.

Realizing that there was no other place for her, Remus laid Lily Malfoy on the kitchen table. As he stepped back, a chill was sent down his spine, for she looked eerily as though she was the focus of a funeral.

"I'm fine," Lily suddenly insisted, and she tried to get up. Remus instinctively pushed her back down.

"No, you aren't. Nobody's going to attack you this time, and as you're badly wounded, you'll do well to stay put," he reprimanded. This was unlike him, and Remus was well aware of this. He couldn't explain for his sudden change into a position of authority other than, well, he cared for the girl.

This realization brought up only more questions. Firstly, why should he care for her? Then of course, came a silent inquiry to determine the degree of 'caring' for the girl. For the time being, Remus brushed these bothersome thoughts away with the simple rationalization that he was able to relate to Lily Malfoy and her altered state.

Madam Pomfrey arrived within minutes by Floo, the emerald fire left open as countless medical supplies floated behind her. As soon as she stepped foot into the home, she said loudly, "Where's Potter? You'd think being away from Hogwarts would inhibit the boy from attaining injuries, but of course…"

She continued her speech as Molly showed her to the sitting room, ignoring the broken, bloody mess of a woman on the kitchen table. The rest that stood assembled in the kitchen followed suit.

Remus stood there, blinking in disbelief of his counterparts. They still believed the girl to be a demon, they had to. None of them were deliberately this cruel to anyone, but then again, Remus thought, it was not exactly cruelty. This was a sort of unrecognized indifference, brought on by the fact that Harry was also injured, and that nobody really knew this Lily girl.

Remus suddenly frowned, still looking in the direction of the sitting room. His best friend's son had been taken by Voldemort and badly injured, and all he could do was stand there and seethe about the Order not caring as much about a Malfoy. Remus found himself to be in quite the predicament.

Now alone with Lily Malfoy, he turned slowly to face her. She seemed not to pay any attention to the horde of people that had suddenly vanished from the room. Though her face was still muddy and smeared with blood, her pallor was obvious. One eye was swollen shut and already began to turn a deep shade of violet. Her hair was matted with blood and lay tangled across her chest, which heaved with every breath. As terrible as the girl looked, she remained conscious, surveying her surroundings and looking perfectly calm.

"They—they're just checking on Harry first, is all," Remus said awkwardly, staring down at his shoes.

"I figured so," she replied, her tone indecipherable.

Remus pulled out a chair from the table that Lily lay on, and seated himself. "Thank you, by the way."

Her head turned so that she faced him. She blinked her long lashes, trapping the pools of silver that lay behind them. She seemed surprised. "No problem," she said simply, but Remus could tell that she'd appreciated his gesture.

Feeling rather useless, Remus got to his feet again, looking down at Lily Malfoy. "Are you doing okay? Would you like anything while we wait, Miss?" _God, she's young_, came throught Remus's mind as he looked into her large, silver eyes.

She smiled shakily. "Besides the pain, I'm freezing," she managed.

With a simple nod, Remus Summoned a thick, knitted blanket that flew in from another room. He snatched it from the air, and very carefully lay it on top of the young woman, covering as much of her as he could.

"Thank you for staying," she replied meekly. "It's nice to have a friendly face around here."

Remus couldn't help but smile. "I'm not sure how friendly my face is, Lily. Still, someone had to watch over you."

"Well"—she grimaced in pain—"I appreciate your concern, Mister Lupin."

Within a few minutes of very still silence, Madam Pomfrey returned with Sirius and Molly at her side. "Good afternoon, Miss Malfoy. We've had an eventful morning, haven't we?" the nurse said briskly as the procession of medical supplies followed her into the kitchen.

She winced as Madam Pomfrey removed the blanket. "Well, eventful night, really. I was staying in that forest over there, and I smelled Voldemort, along with a dozen other Death Eaters, and then Harry's scent brushed my nose. Argh—needless to say, I found it strange for Harry to be waltzing along willingly with such company, so I followed them."

Madam Pomfrey began peering the girl over, and eventually did a scan using her wand. A small piece of paper emitted from the tip of her wand, which she quickly caught. She shook her head, clucking disapprovingly. "Tisk tisk, Miss Malfoy. A rather severe concussion, three broken ribs, and you've lost an abundance of blood from those previous wounds. We _have_ been busy."

Before Lily could answer, Snape (whom Remus had not noticed leave) came bounding through the fireplace, looking wildly around. He was uncharacteristically dissheveled, black hair displaced in his face. Upon seeing Lily and the nurse, he seemed to relax somewhat, and set several vials of different potions upon the room that was left on the table.

"Here," he said, almost proudly. "I have a Blood-Replenishing Potion, a Sleeping Draught, and three other replenishers."

Madam Pomfrey, as well as Sirius and Remus, appeared surprised. "Thank you, Professor Snape, but I have all of these potions with me," she said, trying to be polite as she gestured to her procession of medical supplies.

"Yes, but you see, I made these," Snape said, nodding to his own. "I am completely assured that they are safe."

The nurse nodded, evidently not looking for an argument. Her attention turned back to her patient, who was shivering uncontrollably. "Miss Malfoy, do you know where you are?"

"The Burrow," she said listlessly.

"And your age?"

"Twenty-two."

"That is correct, Madam Pomfrey," supplied Snape.

"What is today's date?"

"The second of August." Lily closed her eyes, her head drooping to the side.

"Correct," the nurse replied, and she began rummaging through her supplies. "Now, I've heard tell that magical medicine is really of no use on you, so I'm afraid you're going to heal like any normal Muggle would," she explained quickly.

"Mhm," Lily mumbled, still shaking.

Molly gingerly touched Lily's arm, then sprang back as if bitten. "Poor dear, you're cold as ice. I'll go turn up the heat." She hurried away, looking nervously over her shoulder as she went.

As Poppy readied her utensils for the next task at hand, Remus balled up the discarded blanket and gently placed it beneath the girl's head.

"Lily," Poppy addressed the girl, stirring her from her half-slumber, "I'm going to cast a spell that will close those wounds and stop the bleeding for good. But, I'm afraid that it'll burn quite a bit, dear. But the rest won't be nearly as hard as this," she said gently.

Lily nodded. "I'm no stranger to pain, thank you."

"Right. Well, one of you three are to hold her down," Madam Pomfrey started, drawing a line up the tattered remains of her tattered blouse. Her top had been completely severed, and just as she reached to removed the blouse's remains, all three of the men spun abruptly around, facing anything but Lily.

The nurse sighed loudly. "One of you need to keep her still," she repeated.

"I certainly will not!" protested Severus from his intent gaze at the wall. "Lily is practically a daughter to me."

Sirius was shaking his head. "Yeah, well, she _is_ my niece!"

"Can't you have Molly do it?" Remus added, his face scarlet at the prospect.

Madam Pomfrey remained her calm tone. "The faster the bleeding stops, the better her chances."

"Then, Remus, you do it," Sirius suggested, and Snape was nodding fervently.

"I hate to admit it, but I would trust you over the mutt here any day," Snape added. His voice was almost…_pleading_.

The pitiful tone in Snape's voice was enough to settle Remus's mind. He turned, swallowing hard, trying to discourage the color in his cheeks, and strode over to the kitchen table. "I-I won't look, I promise," he muttered in embarrassment.

"Here, dear. You'll want to bite down on this," Madam Pomfrey said, brandishing a towel, which Lily gratefully took and placed between her teeth. "Okay, Remus, go ahead and hold her at the shoulders," she said, and he did as he was told.

"Wait." Backing up and not turning around, Severus came nearer the table. "Here, Lily, hold onto my hand. It will help."

Now, Lily did as she was asked. Madam Pomfrey asked if she was ready, Lily nodded, and Remus got a good hold on the girl's thin shoulders.

He later wondered why he'd been so surprised when Lily screamed. Even through the towel, her howls echoed throughout the room, sad and pained, and they broke Remus's heart. She thrashed, but he held her as still as he could.

Snape also yelled in pain and fell to one knee as his hand was being crushed. His teeth were gritted, and Remus was suddenly quite content to be the one holding down Lily's shoulders.

Remus suddenly leaned down, his head inches from the young woman's ear, though he did well to avoid looking at her chest. "It's all right, Lily, she's almost done," he whispered while she screamed in agony. Her free hand latched onto his forearm in desperation.

After what seemed like an eternity, Madam Pomfrey lifted the spell, and Lily's terrible screams ceased. Her eyelids fluttered several times before rolling back into her head and closing.


	4. An Unexpected Explanation

Madam Pomfrey, eyes wide, stitched up Lily's wounds while she lay unconscious, and wrapped several rolls of bandages around her chest and abdomen. Both she and Harry were moved into Fred and George's old bedroom, so that the nurse could keep a better eye on the two.

While the other Order members continued on with their business, Remus, Sirius, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, all stayed in the twins' old room.

"They aren't great company, are they?" Ron observed, looking from Harry to Lily.

"You wouldn't be either if you'd had their day, Ronald Weasley," Molly said firmly as she pressed a cool cloth to Harry's forehead.

"How is he doing?" Remus asked quietly to a very solemn-looking Sirius.

Immediately, his face brightened. "Madam Pomfrey says he'll be just fine. Just a concussion, and you know how young men can be."

Remus detected his friend's façade immediately. He gave his friend a warm smile. "You, Padfoot, who survived thirteen years in Azkaban, are frightened because Harry has a simple concussion? He's been through worse, and you know it," he said privately in his ear.

Sirius nodded, his face reddening. "Yes, but you can never be too careful in these times, Moony. Harry's a man now and I'm still worrying foolishly. I can't imagine having a small child these days," he said, shaking his head somberly.

Remus's smile dropped for a moment. "Luckily, your charisma toward the opposite sex has worn off, and we won't need to worry about that any more."

Sirius shoved him playfully, chuckling. "Not to mention that I'm far too old for any of that kid nonsense."

Remus smiled, glad to see his friend in better spirits. "We're both too old, Sirius, but that just leaves us free, you know," he said mischievously, making his friend's head turn toward him in surprise.

"Moony, I'm surprised at you. You're usually the more…conservative of us two."

Remus raised an eyebrow at his old friend. "You've lost it. You're calling a werewolf 'conservative,' old man."

Before Sirius could elicit a response, Ginny was suddenly exclaiming and jumping wildly about.

"He's waking up! Harry's waking up!" she cried excitedly.

"To wake up to a headake, Ginny," Ron scolded, though he too crowded around the bed.

Harry stirred, then blinked his eyes several times as he adjusted to the light. He seemed quite shocked to be surrounded by half a dozen people. His eyes were open wide, and he seemed incredibly alert. "It—she—saved me. She just sort of…_swooped_ down a-and… Then we were being chased through trees, and even though she's smaller than me, she was _carrying_ me. And—and…" Even though his voice trailed off into silence, Harry spoke very animatedly.

Madam Pomfrey came striding over quickly. "Mister Potter, you will notice that you have bandages on your head. Believe me, they are not there for decoration. You will do well to lie back and recollect at a later time, for I will not allow it now," she said sternly.

But Harry's eyes were still wide, even though his glasses had been set on the nightside table. "Where is she?" he asked noone in particular.

Sirius nodded off to his right, where the other bed was pressed up against the opposite wall. Harry's head spun toward his godfather's direction, and his eyes seemed to widen somehow further. "She isn't dead, is she?"

"Of course she isn't, Harry, dear," Molly said soothingly. "She's just got a few more injuries, dear, nothing to worry about. Now lie back, or else."

Harry did as he was told, though it was quite clear that his mind remained racing. After about an hour of comforting and quiet conversation (none of which could include any exciting events, for Madam Pomfrey would not allow it), the large party was kicked out so that Harry could rest.

Later in the day, after Harry had fallen back to sleep, and when Madam Pomfrey was quite assured that there was not an imminent amount of danger to either of them, she left the Weasley home. As she slipped through the fireplace again, she said, "Potter should be able to get up once he wakes. The girl, though, won't be waking until tomorrow. When she does regain consciousness, she is _not_ to get up for any circumstance less than imminent death."

Remus had been surprised at the nurse's grave demeanor, but it did not stay with him long after she left. And just as she did, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny raced back upstairs, Molly's warning voice trailing after them. While the others departed, speaking in quiet tones about an Order meeting that evening, Remus opted for a comfortable chair and a Muggle mystery novel.

He immersed himself in his reading for hours. It was dinner in the Weasley home before Remus set his novel down. As he sat down to dinner beside Sirius, Hermione and Ron came bouncing into the kitchen, both fawning after Harry.

Harry looked a bit peaky, but beside the bandages around his head and the couple scratches on his face, he appeared to be unharmed. Harry sat between Ron and Sirius, flashing a quick smile to Remus, which he returned.

"Good morning, sunshine," Molly said brightly, setting a plate of food in front of him, while the other plates floated magically toward the others. "Now, Harry, we don't want to put any strain on you, so there will be no talk of anything that happened beginning around yesterday. Not yet, at least. Now, tuck in."

Harry nodded, eyeing the food hungrily. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," he said quietly before diving into his mashed potatoes.

Dinner seemed to end faster than normal, perhaps because an Order meeting was to follow directly after. Only Hermione, Ron, and Ginny retired upstairs. Just as they did, the fireplace seemed to stream with Order members filing out. The kitchen was magically enlarged to fit all of the assembled, though it still was a tight fit.

Finally, all from the Order of the Phoenix had been seated. Dumbledore stood, and any chatter ceased. "First of all, I'd like to make an inquiry as to Lily's state," he calmly addressed them, the usual twinkle in his eye faded.

Molly chose to answer. "Poppy said that she won't regain consciousness until some time tomorrow, and that she won't be able to get up for quite a while," she said, biting her lower lip.

Dumbledore frowned. "Well, at least she will live. After a night like hers, I couldn't hope for a better prospect."

It was silent for a moment, and Remus understood why immediately. Nobody really knew the girl who had saved Harry's life, and not much could be said for her. Just as Remus was about to open his mouth to break the uncomfortable silence, something else did.

A quiet cough came from the doorway, and then an even quieter knock. Looks were exchanged around the table, and Dumbledore flicked his wand once, making the door swing open.

To Remus's great shock, there stood a bandaged-up Lily Malfoy, looking just as miserable as before, with one hand holding her head, the other leaning against the door frame. The over-sized dressing gown that Madam Pomfrey had donned her in hung loosely from her frame.

She looked quite startled at finding a room full of people. "I-I didn't mean to interrupt, I'm sorry. I've just been looking for a bathroom, is all," she said, flushing a deep shade of scarlet.

Almost immediately, Snape was on his feet, heading toward her. "Lily, you shouldn't be standing, let alone _walking_, for God's sake. To bed, immediately," he said sternly, looking her over.

None of the Order was accustomed to seeing Snape's paternal side, and Remus noticed that most of them were suddenly looking away, flicking something off their shoe, or finding some speck on the floor that was particularly interesting. They were obviously embarrassed in seeing Snape behave so differently, and Remus shared the feeling of walking in on something private. The only one of the group that didn't look uncomfortable was Dumbledore.

Molly stood and strode over to the two. "Here, Severus. I'll help her to bed," she offered quickly.

"I'm fine. Just someone point me to a loo," Lily replied, looking nearly annoyed.

Before Snape started arguing again, Remus said quickly, "Back down the way you came and to the right," and took a sip of his tea.

Lily flashed a smile in his direction. "Thank you, Mister Lupin. Always a helpful person, you are. Severus, Mrs. Weasley, if you'll excuse me," she said, smiling softly. She looked down for a moment and her smile dropped. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley, I think I'm bleeding on your carpet."

"That's it," Snape said, having had quite enough. He started a levitation enchantment, but Molly stopped him before he could finish. Snape was pushed back into the kitchen as Molly closed the door behind Lily and herself.

Snape looked somehow furious and relieved at the same time. He looked at Dumbledore and pointed back toward the door. "She's going to kill herself, you realize. She's going to be so foolishly stubborn that she accidentally kills herself, and you encourage it, Dumbledore," he said, not accusingly, but in an exhausted sort of tone.

Dumbledore simply smiled, though the smile was brighter in his eyes. "Of course I do, Uncle Sevvie. Now, please, if we can continue with the meeting."

Snape returned to his seat, taking each step very deliberately. "Yes… Well, I haven't any abundance of information, I'm afraid to say. The Dark Lord has been quite mysterious these days, as I had no idea of Potter's predicament," he said slowly.

"Fat lot of good you're doing, Snivellus," grumbled Sirius.

"And your assistance is of priceless value, especially since we can't use your parents house as headquarters any more," he snapped back quietly.

Remus sighed loudly. "Do we have any inkling as to what he's up to? Harry, do you remember anything that might be important?" he said, softening his voice as he directed his tone to Harry.

His brow furrowed as he tried to remember. "It was really weird, now that I think of it. I was Crucio'd a couple times, but Voldemort never tried to kill me. He just sort of kept me there, waiting for something. Then Lily showed up and him and all the other Death Eaters started attacking her," he said thoughtfully. "But they never shot any killing curse at her, either."

"He was using bait," Dumbledore mused in almost a whisper.

Tonks scrunched up her nose in confusion. "But why would he use Harry as bait? Lily had almost no connection with Harry."

Snape shook his head. "Because that girl is as stupidly kind as she is stubborn, and Voldemort is quite aware of that," he muttered. "She would have gone after them no matter who it was. Well, save for maybe her father."

"So, Voldemort dragged Harry here around close enough to that girl so she could smell him, but didn't kill her when he had the chance?" Kingsley questioned incredulously.

"He may have other plans for her," Remus voiced. "We all know very well that Voldemort has done much more horrible things than kill people."

"Torture? She most likely has a good deal of information on them, and if she were to spill any of it, they'd find a need either to kill her or to torture her until…well, until noone would believe a word of what she said," Elphias Doge wheezed, running a hand through his silver hair.

"Whatever he wants with her, he's obviously going to try to take her back. I'd say that makes her quite the liability," Sirius said, looking severely around him. "It would be too great a danger to keep her around, wouldn't it? With her around, Voldemort can keep baiting her by using any one of us to toy around with until she comes along."

"Sirius, how can you say that?!" Tonks demanded, looking disbelievingly at him. While Remus was stricken by the audacity of his statement, he couldn't help but see his point. "She's your niece, and she's even got your hair!"

"Poor girl, head like a mop," mumbled Snape.

Sirius shot Snape a dangerous glare.

"She isn't any harm to anyone right now," interjected Arthur. "Everyone saw the state she's in. And I doubt that the Dark Lord will find it wise to lure her out again so soon. Besides, it isn't like this house is not accustomed to a wealth of people," he said with a smile.

"Dad, this isn't a thing to gamble on," Charlie said suddenly. "She might not technically be a demon, but she's capable of the same things. You know better than us all that these are not times to be guessing."

Mundungus belched and agreed obnoxiously. "'E's right. 'Sides, she's not quite right, is she? Dang'rous, you ask me. Most like a"—

"Werewolf," Remus said, trying to hide the bitterness in his voice. Almost every eye was on him now. He cleared his throat. "Arthur's right. I'm more dangerous than Lily is, and Voldemort will not be too keen on another attack this early. I refuse to have her persecuted for something she has no control over."

"Always a helpful person, Remus Lupin," came a soft voice, accompanied by _her_ scent. Lily stood in the doorway once more, leaning heavily against the wall. She appeared as though merely standing exhausted her, but her face was clean of any dried mud or blood, and save for a few light scratches, her complexion was flawless.

Molly was standing near her, looking worrisome as ever, as though fearful that Lily would fall over at any second. "Here, dear. Come sit in the kitchen—we'll find you a place, don't worry—and I'll get you a nice bit of something to eat." As she escorted Lily from behind, Molly was making wild gestures that Remus understood to mean that the young woman was very susceptible to dropping flat on the floor.

However, Lily did not falter in her stride, and sat, very slowly, with a grimace on her face, between Remus and Severus. She looked down the table and smiled. "All right, Harry?"

"Better than you, at least," Harry said, returning the smile.

She shrugged and fiddled with her hands nervously, much like a child would. "I understand that these are very risky times, with hopes and prospects much too great to lose." She spoke slowly and deliberately, making sure she made eye contact with everyone. "I also understand that a good number of you are frightened of me, and I don't blame you. After all, who wouldn't be afraid of a young, five-and-a-half-foot-tall girl?" She smiled to herself. "I guarantee you that I don't take this lightly. My life is just as much in danger as any of yours are. Besides, like Mister Doge mentioned, I have a good amount of information for you," she said softly.

Molly set a plate of that evening's dinner in front of her and smiled, saying, "Here, dear. You look like you haven't eaten for days."

Lily looked gratefully at the food, her eyes widened, and mumbled meekly, "I haven't."

She made no haste in attacking her mashed potatoes, eyes huge.

Kingsley looked at the girl curiously. "What kind of information do you offer?"

Lily swallowed hastily and neatly dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. She folded her hands on the table. "Voldemort's most recent plans. The plans that are so secret that not even his beloved spy Severus Snape know them," she said simply.

"And what would they be?" Dumbledore inquired, though not too eagerly.

Lily bit her lower lip, looking suddenly fearful. "If any one of you is a traitor and runs off to Voldemort with this, I promise to kill you before he kills me," she said, looking at each of them to assure that she was not joking. She took as deep a breath that her broken ribs would allow, then continued. "He's looking for an heir."

Remus squinted in disbelief. "Voldemort? Why would he want an heir if he's so convinced that he's going to vanquish death?"

"That old thing? How's he ever going to get an heir?" Tonks intoned skeptically.

Lily took a deep draught of her tea and swallowed. "Oh, he still believes whole-heartedly that he'll end up conquering death. He just wants an heir when he tires of ruling the Wizarding world, you know. Voldemort intends to change the child into something of a weapon, like he'd done to me. And, as much as Aunt Bellatrix would love the chance, Voldemort has found that it would be far easier to create a weapon and an heir by choosing the only one that could produce him both of those aspects without inflicting pain on his child…" She took another long drink of her tea as this idea sank in.

Snape looked like he had swallowed his tongue. "Y-you?" He blinked several times in disbelief and horror, and seemed unable to speak. "You're not…" he said, his attention changing to her abdomen.

"Of course not," she shot back immediately. "You don't think I'd let him near me, do you?" As her sole parental figure held his face in his hands, she continued. "That's why he lured me out. That's why he didn't kill me. But, as he found out yesterday, I'm too powerful for him," she said, smirking softly. That characteristic smirk was the only indication of Lily's heritage.

"As such, my dear, there are still two other ways in which Voldemort can impregnate you. There is the Ingravesco Charm, as well as the Engorgement potion," Dumbledore said calmly, as Snape shook his head, his face still in his hand.

"What if he asks me to make it?" Snape muttered to himself. "He'll know I'm able to, the Dark Lord always knows… And should I refuse, I'll blow my cover as a spy."

"Calm down, Severus," Sirius said, with something similar to pity in his eyes. "Lily obviously isn't knocked up now. There's no need to worry yet."

Lily furrowed her brow. "I'm not a child, you realize. I'm very capable of taking care of myself, as I have been."

"Oh yes, you're doing a bang up job now, aren't you? Look at yourself, Lily. May I remind you that merely hours ago you were screaming in pain? Absolute disregard for your own well-being," Snape shot.

Before Lily could retaliate, Molly cut in. "Nobody doubts that you can take care of yourself, Lily dear. You brought Harry and yourself back in one piece. There's just a certain amount of concern regarding what _could_ happen, you see," she said kindly. "Now, come on, dear, we need to get you back to bed before you exhaust yourself."

"But"—

"Ooh, I'll help!" Tonks volunteered cheerfully. She stood, nearly knocking over a cup of tea, beaming. "Wotcher, Lily. I'll borrow you some pajamas so we can get you out of that old thing," she said brightly as she helped pull Lily to her feet. She seemed much less sure of herself this time, and her legs seemed barely able to support her own weight.

"Whoopsie, Lils, here we are. It's so nice having someone around who's so close to my age. Oh, clumsy Tonks, navigate _around_ the broom…"

Remus noticed, as Lily was led away by her new clutzy friend, that a trace of a smile flecked her face. Her face brightened and her eyes twinkled, and Remus suddenly realized that he'd forgotten to release his breath, and gasped for air.


End file.
